10 Questions: W. Earl Brown

<I>The Alamo</I> and <I>Deadwood</I> thesp gives his 10 answers!

By Stax

Updated: 21 May 2012 4:17 am

Posted: 26 Mar 2004 4:35 pm

According to the official site for the new HBO series Deadwood, Kentucky-born actor W. Earl Brown's "career runs the gamut from television to film, to theatre – from comedy to drama to musical." His feature credits include There's Something About Mary, Scream, Being John Malkovich, Vanilla Sky, and Lost Souls. He portrayed the title role in the telepic Meat Loaf: To Hell and Back, and also appeared on the short-lived series Push, Nevada. His future releases include Killer Diller and The Alamo.

I am a music freak. My tastes run the gamut from Willie Nelson, to Metallica, to Miles Davis. However, if forced to pick an absolute favorite, I'd have to say anything by my friend and hero, Steve Earle.

2. What is your favorite film?

Animal House, Halloween, and Star Wars are the three that I saw which made me want to be in the movies. At age 14, I found them magical. However, if made to pick what I think is the greatest film ever made, I'd say The Godfather I & II.

3. What is your favorite TV program, past or current?

The Sopranos. Plus, not being one for false modesty, I'd put Deadwood alongside it as "the best thing on television."

4. What do you feel has been your most important professional accomplishment to date?

Making a living and raising a family as a working actor. Jack Lemmon, upon receiving one of his life's last awards, dedicated it to his family. He said, "I take my work very seriously – but still it is my work. My family – they are my life." My daughter doesn't love me because I'm on TV, she loves me because I'm her dad. My wife married me when the odds were that I'd be a house painting bouncer for the rest of my days. She has stuck by me through that with nothing but love and support. I agree with Jack Lemmon.

5. Which project do you feel didn't live up to what you envisioned?

The second movie I ever worked on was The Babe. While I will forever be indebted to that film, because it was the one on which I officially became a full time actor (I did not have to paint houses or bounce drunks out of bars after I did that film), it turned out poorly. I had high expectations and it failed to meet them at every turn. That was a valuable Hollywood Lesson learned early in my career – you never know. However, three times in my career have I "had a feeling" that a project was going to break huge. Those three were: Scream, There's Something About Mary, and Deadwood. On the first two my hunch was correct. I'll know about the third in a couple of days.

6. What is your favorite book?

At the moment? Hell at the Breech, by Tom Franklin. Of all time? Either Of Mice and Men or Lord of the Flies. They are the books that I was forced to read in high school, which turned me on to literature. Unlike most of the assigned stuff that I was bored to tears with, I loved those books. They turned me on to reading.

7. If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

I entered the industry under the false assumption that with great work come the great perks. I naively thought that if one worked hard, created memorable characters in good films, and played well with others, that one would be justly rewarded. I was wrong. So if I would change anything about the industry, I would make it just and fair. That will never happen. So in the meantime, get a good agent, manager, lawyer, and publicist.